Role in IT decision-making process:Align Business & IT GoalsCreate IT StrategyDetermine IT NeedsManage Vendor RelationshipsEvaluate/Specify Brands or VendorsOther RoleAuthorize PurchasesNot Involved

Work Phone:

Company:

Company Size:

Industry:

Street Address

City:

Zip/postal code

State/Province:

Country:

Occasionally, we send subscribers special offers from select partners. Would you like to receive these special partner offers via e-mail?YesNo

Your registration with Eweek will include the following free email newsletter(s):News & Views

By submitting your wireless number, you agree that eWEEK, its related properties, and vendor partners providing content you view may contact you using contact center technology. Your consent is not required to view content or use site features.

By clicking on the "Register" button below, I agree that I have carefully read the Terms of Service and the Privacy Policy and I agree to be legally bound by all such terms.

Japan to Foreign Workers: 'Here's Money, Now Go Away'

Oh, Japan. How you make Americans cringe with shame in your protectionist ways.
Descendants of Japanese emigrants from Latin and South America, namely Brazil, are being told by the government of Japan that they will pay them to leave and go back to their home countries. Many of these people were

Oh, Japan. How you make Americans cringe with shame in your protectionist ways.

Descendants of Japanese emigrants from Latin and South America, namely Brazil, are being told by the government of Japan that they will pay them to leave and go back to their home countries. Many of these people were born by Japanese emigrants who moved abroad in the past for work, and so have direct ties to Japanese culture through their families.

Now they are being told, thanks for playing, here's a little coin for airfare, have a nice life. And if you take the door prize, your visa is void. So you can't ever come back to work here. Thanks for playing!

One Japanese government official, Jiro Kawasaki, a senior lawmaker of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was quoted in The New York Times as saying: "We should stop letting unskilled laborers into Japan. We should make sure that even the three-K jobs are paid well, and that they are filled by Japanese," he said. "I do not think that Japan should ever become a multiethnic society."

The three-K jobs refer to "kitsui, kitanai, kiken -- hard, dirty and dangerous," mostly in manufacturing, which is going through very hard times in Japan, and most parts of the world.

I understand to a point that the recession and major collapses in the export economy are causing most countries to revisit immigration policies, especially in labor markets. But this idea of saying to people who've settled in your country for a long time to get out comes off as a low blow and racially driven nonsense.

"The plan came as a shock to many, especially after the government introduced a number of measures in recent months to help jobless foreigners, including free Japanese-language courses, vocational training and job counseling. Guest workers are eligible for limited cash unemployment benefits, provided they have paid monthly premiums."It's baffling," said Angelo Ishi, an associate professor in sociology at Musashi University in Tokyo. "The Japanese government has previously made it clear that they welcome Japanese-Brazilians, but this is an insult to the community."It could also hurt Japan in the long run. The aging country faces an impending labor shortage. The population has been falling since 2005, and its working-age population could fall by a third by 2050. Though manufacturers have been laying off workers, sectors like farming and care for the elderly still face shortages."

Oh, recessions. They make some governments say and do the darndest things.

By submitting your information, you agree that eweek.com may send you eWEEK offers via email, phone and text message, as well as email offers about other products and services that eWEEK believes may be of interest to you. eWEEK will process your information in accordance with the Quinstreet Privacy Policy.

We ran into a problem

We already have your email address on file. Please use the "Forgot your password?" link to create a password, validate your email and login.